09 Aug 2017

A PEPFAR funded beauty salon and spa will soon open its doors for operations in Kazungula providing services in hair, nails and body massages.

Turning Heads Springs Beauty Salon and Spa, whose nine female founders are from the “most at risk populations,” is expected to launch officially in a month’s time.

The project was funded in 2015 under the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) with the aim of economically empowering women in “most at risk populations.”

The salon will have 10 full-time staff members providing services such as nail and hair services as well as body massages under the slogan “we all deserve a little me time.”

All staff members have been trained in beauty therapy and hair dressing by Madirelo Training and Testing Centre for six weeks.

Local Enterprise Authority (LEA) has also trained the women on entrepreneurship skills.

At a recent meeting with US embassy officials, US Ambassador, Mr Earl Miller thanked the former project manager, Ms Josephine Piet for her vision on the salon.

“This salon is the brainchild of Josephine Piet who has done tremendous outreach in this area, and who has also been recognised as a PEPFAR hero,” he said.

Ambassador Miller added that the salon was unique as it had gone beyond the traditional work of established projects and looked at the central problem of livelihoods for key populations from a creative and fresh angle.

Executive director for Tebelopele Voluntary Counselling and Testing Centre (TVCT), Ms Marlene Nkete said they had discovered through focus group discussions that some of the women involved in sex work wanted to leave, but were often hindered by lack of financial options.

“The project seeks to empower them with alternative sources of funding in line with Botswana Vision 2036 which speaks of prosperity for all, ensuring that all citizens enjoyed a dignified and sustainable livelihood,” said Ms Nkete.

Another aim of the project is to reduce the number of girls and women engaged in sex work as a means of livelihood, and to increase business skills and employment opportunities for marginalised women.

The P170 000 PEPFAR grant covered furnishings, equipment, supplies, facility upgrades and training of the hairdressers and beauticians.

Training for the beauticians will conclude next week. One of the project beneficiaries, who preferred to have her name withheld, thanked the American government for restoring their dignity as women and promised that she and her team would deliver quality service with the skills they had acquired.

She also thanked Chobe Game Lodge for their support and motivation throughout.

Chobe Game Lodge, as one of the partners, has pledged continuous support by placing financial incentives to encourage their staff to utilise services offered by the salon. ENDS